


The Arena

by talibusorabat (hermitcave)



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-03
Updated: 2012-04-03
Packaged: 2017-11-02 23:30:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/374586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hermitcave/pseuds/talibusorabat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I saw you at the match today. You were amazing.”</p>
<p>Korra had been in only one match that day, but it took her a full minute to put two and two together. “You were at -“ remembering to finish in a whisper “the tournament?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Arena

Two soft knocks and the door slid open. Korra jumped, quickly turning away from her view of the Arena with a guilty twinge. But Pema was already in the room.

“…Come in,” Korra said - embarrassed at being caught mooning, annoyed at having her space unceremoniously invaded, and covering it all with good humor because, come on, this was Pema.

“Not so loud!” the older woman hissed, and put her ear to the paper thin door. Korra bit back a laugh. She was trying _so hard_ to be sneaky, but it was pretty much impossible when you’re in bright yellow  & orange robes and six months pregnant.

“Why are we whispering?” the teenager asked, lowering her voice obligingly.

Pema didn’t answer straight away. Once she was satisfied, she moved from the doorway and sat on the edge of Korra’s bed. “I don’t want Tenzin to know I’m here,” she explained.

Korra frowned. “Am I in trouble? ‘Cause I just talked with him, like, twenty minutes ago, and I thought we were cool.”

Pema waved her hands. “No, no, no, nothing like that!” She smiled. “I saw you at the match today. You were _amazing_.”

Korra had been in only one match that day, but it took her a full minute to put two and two together. “ **You were at** -“ remembering to finish in a whisper “the tournament? Did Tenzin drag you along?”

Pema smiled, abashed. “No, Tenzin doesn’t know I was there. I’m kind of a closet pro-bending fan.”

“No. Way.” Korra covered her mouth to muffle a high-pitched squeal, and suddenly the two women were talking on top of one another.

“How long have you been a fan?”

“How did you hear about it all the way in the South Pole?”

“How many matches have you been to?”

“ _All_ of them since moving here.”

“One of the guards had records of all the famous matches. Did you get to see-“

“Nooo, I was still out in the provinces then!”

“Who’s your favorite team?”

“The Fire Ferrets, totally.” Pema declared this loud and proud, for a moment forgetting to be embarrassed. Korra grinned and held up her hand for a high-five.

“Say hello to the newest Fire Ferret,” she said.

“CAN YOU GET ME BOLIN’S AUTOGRAPH?!”

Korra yelped as a picture of  her new teammate, meticulously cut out from the newspaper, was shoved in her face.

“So,” she chuckled, taking the picture. “You’re one of Bolin’s crazy fangirls, huh?” As she tucked the picture away, something clicked. “You’re **the** crazy fangirl! The one who shouted you loved him!”

Pema gasped. “How did you know?”

“I could hear you all the way across the stadium,” Korra said. “You’ve got the lungs of an airbender.” She smirked. “No wonder you don’t want Tenzin to know.”

Pema rolled her eyes. “It’s not like _that_. I mean, I know it’s silly. He’s so young, and I’m already well on my way to rebuilding the airbender population. But he’s so cute! And that _smile._ ”

“He’s certainly a charmer,” Korra agreed.

Pema grinned slyly. “So what do _you_ think about him?”

Korra laughed. “He’s a bit too charming for me,” she said. “But man can he earthbend! I’ve never seen anything like it! And he’s a really good teacher, too.”

“I thought you already mastered earthbending,” Pema frowned.

“The traditional forms, yeah,” Korra said. “But probending is a whole new style. I mean, it takes everything I’ve been taught so far and just completely flips it on its head!” She scrunched up her nose. “I guess that’s why Tenzin doesn’t like it much.”

Pema chuckled. “When you’re trying to revive a dead culture, you get a little sensitive about these sort of things.”

“‘Air is the element of freedom,’” Korra quoted sarcastically. She knew she wasn’t being fair - she and Tenzin had already apologized to each other for their harsh words - but even with the apology, his words still rankled. “‘Being the Avatar isn’t just about fighting.’”

Korra regretted the words as soon as they slipped out of her mouth. She had never talked to anyone about being the Avatar — not her real feelings. The White Lotus had controlled her training and her freedom; if she had shown the slightest doubt or hesitation, they would have held her forever. She had come close to telling Master Katara, but she couldn’t bear to let her mentor down, not when she had supported Korra so strongly, believed in her so unquestioningly. This woman, who had saved the world when she was younger than Korra, who had been an instrumental part of building it anew, put her faith in _her_. Korra wanted to live up to the older woman’s faith, not disappoint her with her own doubts.

Pema just smiled. “You have to remember, Korra, he was the Avatar’s son,” she said gently.

Korra wilted. “I know…”

But Pema put a hand on her shoulder. “I’m not saying he’s right,” she added. “I’m just saying, he’s got pretty strong opinions on the subject. He’s spent his whole life immersed in ancient Air Nomad culture and philosophy. Honestly? He’s got an agenda.”

Korra looked askance at her. “Does Tenzin know you talk like this?” she asked.

“He knows I don’t share his religious beliefs,” Pema said. “Which makes life interesting, I know.”

Korra tilted her head slightly. “So what do you think?”

“I think the only person who knows what it means to be the Avatar is the Avatar,” Pema said. “No matter what my husband or the old men running the White Lotus say. You aren’t Aang, and this isn’t Aang’s world. You have to figure out what being the Avatar means for yourself.”

“Master Katara kinda said the same thing,” Korra said.

Pema grinned. “My mother-in-law’s a smart woman.” She carefully rose to her feet, waving off Korra’s attempts to help. “Meelo’s ready for bed now, I think,” she said. “And probably Tenzin too.”

“Thanks,” Korra blurted out. “For talking to me. You know, about stuff.”

“It’s nice having another pro-bending fan in the house,” Pema said. “Don’t forget to get that autograph!”

Korra patted the pocket where she had stashed the picture. “I’ll even invite him to dinner,” she promised.

Pema bit back a squeal. “I’m going to hold you to that,” she said.

Korra laughed as Pema scampered away, and fell back in her bed. Upside down through the window, she could just make out the top  of the Arena, sparkling and golden in the night.

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be a crack fic based on the fact that Pema's voice actress also did the screaming fangirl "I LOVE YOU BOLIN!!!" voice. I honestly don't know what happened.


End file.
